Lighterthief

Lighterthief is a Swindon based music collective formed in the late 1990s by musician/producer Stuart Rowe. It operates somewhere between a band , a record label and a production company and it is an output for the work of a continually evolving group of musicians ,singers and producers.
Lighterthief’s album “Incubation” was released in 2007. It features performances by several musicians and singers and incorporates influences from electronica, trip-hop, rock, downtempo, ambient, jazz, blues, soul, punk, folk, classical, gospel and funk.
As well as Lighterthief ,Rowe is involved in many other projects.In 2007 he co-produced the Shriekback album “Glory Bumps” released on Malicious Damage Records alongside Barry Andrews. He also remixed the “Sleep” single for Swindon band Buswell.
He mixed the improvised album “Monstrance “ featuring Andy Partridge (XTC) and Barry Andrews and Martyn Barker(Shriekback) . The album was awarded “Album of the Month” status in the Independent newspaper.
In 1998 he met Gary Cobain and Brian Dougans from the Future Sound of London and played guitar and bass on their album “Translations” (2001), ‘The Isness’(2002) , “Alice in Ultraland”(2005) and ‘Teachings from the Electronic Brain’(2006)
He also played with their Psychedelic live band ‘the Amorphous Androgynous’ in Sweden ,Russia and Australia alongside sitar player Baluji Shrivasta ,Gary Lucas(guitarist with Capatin Beefhart and Jeff Buckley) ,Tim Weller(The Divine Comedy) Mikey Rowe (Oasis, Sheryl Crow), Virgil Howe (The Dirty Feel) and Dave Sanderson (the Hat/ Hoof).
In 2005 he developed, in conjunction with Midigun designer Christopher Bauder, the “Parasite” which is a controller for computer sequencers mounted on a modified Fender Telecaster known as the “Cybercaster”. This was used on the Amorphous Androgynous tour of Australia in December 2005.
Also in 2005 he played at the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House improvising blues guitar with Pianist /Singer Barry Ganberg accompanying dancers from the Rambert School of dance.
In 2000 he started work part time as a lecturer in Music Technology and Jazz Studies at New College Swindon and a tutor at Swindon Contemporary school of Music.
In 1990 he settled in Swindon and opened a record shop- selling rare punk, funk and jazz music at The Rockin Emporium. Whilst continuing to play guitar in local bands such as The Wild Bikinis, The Vindaloo Brothers, Cosmic Rays, and the Advocates with whom he played at Glastonbury Festival in 1994. He also taught guitar privately and started to develop his production ideas.
Lighterthief was set up to be a creative output for Rowe’s productions and musical ideas. The band's sound, in both live and studio contexts, employs live musicians and singers who improvise alongside electronic elements such as samples provided by Rowe. In studio recordings Rowe will often remix and re arrange the live source material to produce a finished product that is combination of live improvisation with electronica.
Live performances are very rare due to the logistical difficulties of a large line up on stage and Rowe prefers to work in his studio.
Other current projects that he is involved in are:
The Alfonz- debut ep (production)
Rag Doll Girl –Blood and bones EP (production)
Bob Bowles Band( bass )
Ogheno( guitar)
Seven Years On (mixing)
Rocket Box (guitar/production)
Charlie Bath (bass/production)
Arc (production)
Julianne Bastock (writing/production)
Carrie Rossiter and the Dacoits (bass/mixing)
Shriekback (guitar/production)
The Stonepoem Project (bass/guitar)
Anita Masri (production/bass)
Cinzano Taylor (bass/production)
Nick Baker (guitar/bass/production)
Incubation is available for purchase through I- tunes www.lighterthiefshop.com, or www.lighterthiefproductions.com.

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